


Love in a Mist

by cephalopod_groupie



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: F/M, Kissing, Romance, Time Travel, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cephalopod_groupie/pseuds/cephalopod_groupie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The characters Lieutenant Carstairs and Lady Jennifer were first introduced in The War Games in 1969. They first met in 1917 (which was actually 1969 or later) on a distant planet, then met after that on Earth in 1915 and married shortly after. I’m writing this within the television canon with regard to the PDA: Players by Terrance Dicks, and beginning it after the end of episode 9. Because Lt. Carstairs and Lady J. have their memories erased by the Time Lords, I imagine they have a few brief moments together, which may or may not be a gift from the Time Lords.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love in a Mist

Carstairs materialized from the Time Mist once again, still waving at the Doctor, who was now nowhere to be seen. Nothing but the desolation of the landscape lay before him. He was no longer on a hill. The muddy ground beneath his feet stretched beyond for heaven knew how long, and his own solitary body was shrouded in fog. The silence made the air heavy. There were no sounds of barrage, no distant rumble of tanks, no sound of crows waiting for the men to die: just the faint whisper of the cool air moving around him.   
  
Then, in the distance, he saw a figure walking toward him out of the fog. The silhouette of a long coat became more clearly visible to him until he realized an instant later that it was Lady Jennifer. He was suddenly aware of his own pulse that began to beat harder at the sight of another human being, at the sight of her. He rubbed his disbelieving eyes for a split second and then made his way to her without a word. They both stopped in front of one another. She appeared as stunned as he was and smiled wearily.   
  
“Lady Jennifer!” he said, unable to hide joy from his face. “How did you get here?”   
  
“I walked through the mist barrier from the American Civil War zone.”  
  
“But why did you come back to this place?”   
  
“I was attending to Russell’s men when they all simply disappeared. I thought I’d better see if anyone was left in this time zone.”   
  
“Oh, yes, Russell. I met him. Decent chap.”  
  
“Didn’t he mention me?”  
  
“No, he didn’t. He probably forgot. We were trying to round up all the rebellion members to form one large army. In the end we took over the chateau, and then stormed the War Centre as soon as we’d gathered enough support. The Doctor sent a message to his people, the Time Lords, to clear the whole mess up.”  
  
“So Jamie didn’t tell you?”  
  
“Tell me what?”  
  
“Well, I...” She looked away shyly and continued, “I wanted to come with them, but Russell said I should stay and look after the wounded men in his regiment.” Before Carstairs could draw breath to reply, she quickly reversed the conversation. “Where’s the Doctor and the others?”  
  
“Oh, he said something about his people returning us to our own times. Back to Earth. I suppose we must be there now. They disappeared in the mist along the 1917 Time Zone Barrier as they were heading for the Tardis.”  
  
“But why did you come back with them?" she pressed.  
  
They both stood still.   
  
“To find you.”  
  
His deep voice had become solemn and earnest. Carstairs moved forward and tenderly put his hands on her arms. The military facade crumbled as they realised they were looking into eachother’s eyes, searching eachother’s faces. They suddenly understood they were of the same purpose. Through the mist they had found one another again. Carstairs leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers and pulled her close into his arms. As they kissed, deeper and deeper, she reached up to lace her thin fingers through the kinks in his soft brown hair. The dawn air was at once sharp and blissful as they inhaled between each passionate caress of their lips.   
  
When they reluctantly parted, their fingertips were still just kissing one another's uniforms. They gazed at eachother with great relief and happiness for one brief moment before they felt a strange sense of suspension. Their eyes became only points of light, their bodies that of the stars, their memories no longer complete. Yet the mist around them began to clear. Once again conscious of their surroundings, they looked at one another in new-found bewilderment.   
  
“Hello,” he said, “I’m Lieutenant Carstairs.”  
  
“Lady Jennifer.”  
  
And as they shook hands, an ambulance trundled toward them from somewhere in the distance.

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally published 2011](http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=42576)  
> 
> [My pride and joy.]


End file.
